Songwriters Soundoff! (introduce yourself)

[KeyboardPunk]

Originally posted by yidneth:

[QB] hi there

my name is Priscilla Hernández, i'm a singer-songwriter and composer from Spain....

 

I know how it feels to be in music and be of a different country. I'm originally from Greece and it's hard to be taken seriously when my genre is punk rock. I imagine it's been hard.

 

Foreign artists rock!!

Keep up the good work girl!!

 

LYLAS-Keyboard Punk

[Garfo]

Hi folks,

 

Another newbie here. My name is Gareth Thomas, and I am a songwriter of sorts, primarily the musical aspect however, I'm not so good with lyrics.

 

Anyway, I have been playing guitar for about 10 years, piano for about the same time, but not so seriously, and I also play fretless bass. I started writing songs and music about three years ago, of the guitar based variety, and also went through a brief stint of acoustic finger style folk music.

 

I also tried to write lyrics for a couple of tracks a while back, but that didn't really work out to well, as I get stuck in the usual trap of producing similar lyrical concoctions.

 

Aside from that, I have also played in progressive rock, and hard rock bands, but have found the responce to that music somewhat dissapointing, in the area in which I live, so have ended up travelling down the cover band road.

 

Aside to this, I have also spent a bit of time trying to record my own music and such, culminating in me spending about 400hrs worth of time writing my first progressive rock album, although then slightly strugling at the Mastering Stage, another one of my weak points and such, but things have turned out sounding ok at least, imho.

 

Additionaly, I also teach guitar lessons, and have great fun teaching a whole new generation of musicians. Thanks for reading.

 

Regards,

 

Garfo.

[eevilteddie]

hiya...

 

I'm eevil and a teddie.. Hihihi.. so, u can call me either eevil or teddie or both combined:eevilteddie..

 

I'm 20 going on 21.. been learning music since the age of 13.. and currently doing a degree in Music here in the U.K....

I do write songs, but i'm pretty much am bad in writing lyrics.. I play keyboards - my first music instrument is the ELECTONE (Yamaha's organ) and playing 'keyboard' as in digital keyboard- popular music type keayboard- playing in a band keyboard (u know wat i mean)is really kinda new to me..

 

I am into every type of music.. I am a potential music critic (as to what my tutor said- because i observe a song like really in depth, so wat he said).. but i am still neither a good keyboard player, nor a good performer.. ^_^

 

love writing ballad songs, as much as blues and r&b and bossanova.. all the laidback relaxing type of songs.. recently did a rock-punk song for a friend for his band's second album.. currently i'm sort of in process of composing classical-type of pieces for my degree project..

 

Erm.. wat else.. Oh yeah.. I think this forum thingy is awesome!! Rock On!! ^_^

 

 

-eevil-

[haggard]

Hi, I began playing bass around 20, more than 20 years ago, in my country land Mexico. My main instrument is bass but I play also some Keyboards and sing ;-(

After 10 years in Europe (musically active with bands), I planned some time ago starting to write songs, and have been reeding some books on the subject, analizing structures, and so on... I plan to start soon trying something on Cubase at the PC.

[Hugo H]

Welcome, haggard!

Glad you said hello. What type of music do you like to write? There's a wide blend of interests among the people here. Personally, I write rock and country plus some instrumental piano.

Hope we can hear some music soon,

-Hugo

[Trucks]

Hi Everybody!

 

Im Lee, not been writing music too long. Still pretty much a n00b but there is nothing i enjoy doing more (not even sex or drugs). I play guitar, acoustic & electric. Id like to learn piano but dont really have the time to fit it in with 4-5 hours guitar a day

 

I play kind of blues folk roots kinda stuff, influenced by John Butler Trio, Joe Purdy, Bert Jansch, Davey Graham among many others...

 

Is there a place I can upload my guitar peices too, id really appreciate some feedback from some experienced muso's.

 

Cheers peeps!

[Eric VB]

Hey Lee, thanks for introducing yourself!

 

Yeah, doing the multi-instrument thing can be difficult. You spend all your time becoming proficient on everything and that doesn't leave a lot of time for anything else ... like writing songs! That, and it's always difficult to get away from "you sound like a guitar player playing drums", or whatever. In addition to having to learn the instrument interface, there's the "how would a drummer approach this?" syndrome.

 

Now we have online collaborations, so it's possible to spend more time writing songs!

 

Also, check out the Guitar Player forum on this site; they have a special topic where you can upload your guitar playing for critique.

[Trucks]

Hey Ric, I put some guitar stuff in this forum... think maybe it should have gone in the other one. How can i move it?

 

Thanks mate.

[Pappy P]

Hey:

 

So this is where all the song writers meet.

 

Name's Randall.

 

I like to write and records blues and jazz influenced rock, whatever that means.

 

I look forward to getting to listen to some of the compositions your guys have created.

 

Just thought I'd say Hi and let you know I'm listening in.

[Irminsul]

Hello all, I'm new to the forum.

 

I'm a celtic harper and pianist, who now spends inordinates amount of time on composition for piano and a variety of ensembles. My musical history runs the gamut, from industrial to trance/electronica to classical. You can hear the first opus of my latest piano compositions here ->

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=398165

 

I look forward to sharing knowledge with the forum. Don't be a stranger.

[zvezdapoimeni]

Hi guys,

 

I'm 30 yrs old and play the classical guitar/electric guitar and bass and get by with keyboards. I'm very pleased to have discovered a forum dedicated to composition, they don't come around much!

 

My main Influences are Bach, metallica, steve Vai, russian bands Kino and Nautilius Pompilius , the French song writer Serge Gainsbourg, 70's disco music, bossa nova, Paco de Lucia and 1980's cartoon music.

 

I 'm self taught , write for the classical guitar, try to do counterpoint and I also write music which which you could come across on the trans siberian express(nostalgic, eastern european rythms and chord progressions), some would call it old fashioned or corny but i still get high doing that kind of stuff!! takes all kinds! I'm also interested in writing techno.

 

I look forward to sharing with you ideas and compositions.

 

Zvezdapoimeni

[Dr Nursers]

A big welcome to you all

[mjm]

Forgot to introduce myself here.

 

I'm mjm, composer who lives in Greenwich, London, England. Currently finishing a music degree.

 

I composer film music, contemporary concert music and just about anything else that I feel like doing. Like an awards show in Dec 05.

 

Used to work at M-Audio for a bit. Moving to the states either this year or next to do a Masters there.

[Caseguitar91]

Hey i am caseguitar from Jax FL. I play acoustic and electric guitar,bass, and alto sax. my influences are Progressive,blues,country blues, Jazz,rock,classical,VH-ish/ygnwie metal and world and indian. I love to play with others and always seek for inspiration

[tributerry]

Hi,

Fresh meat comin' in!

 

My name is Terry and at this stage of my development as a songwriter I pretty much do everything myself, so I call myself SolidTerry (as in 'solitary'). My SolidTerry confinement is currently my day job.

 

I've been writing songs since I was something like 10 years old (I'm in my 40's now). I'm primarily a drummer who dabbles with other instruments. Except for rudimentary lessons on the snare drum and a semester or two of lessons in a classroom setting at a junior college on string bass and piano, I'm totally self-taught. I also studied music theory for a semester at the same junior college in Sacramento, CA, my hometown.

 

I suppose the music I write would be considered pop music. It is influenced primarily by music of the 60's/70's. It's mostly rock and soul influenced, with hints from time to time of reggae, blues, country and ska. Songwriters I admire most are people such as Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Brian Wilson, Smokey Robinson and Lennon/McCartney.

 

I think my strong point is my lyrics, but you can have a listen for yourself and decide whether that's true. I'll be glad to return the favor for you (unintentional rhyme there -- it just comes out).

 

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

Peace and blessings.

 

www.solidterry.com

Compaq Presario PC

512 RAM

Celleron processor (would a Pentium make a noticeable difference, anyone?)

Terratec Phase 22 Soundcard

Cakewalk Guitar Tracks 2 software

Real instruments, except for Yamaha DTXpress II electronic drum set

Guitars run through Digitech RP200 modeling guitar processor

All vocals and instruments pre-amped w/Sony MDM-X4 4-track mini-disc recorder/mixer

[Jamie J]

Hello all,

 

It's Jamie from the UK.

 

I'm a beginer to songwriting, though I've been playing the keyboard for 2 years. I haven't really got much of a clue how to write, so I'm looking for ideas or online courses (preferably free as I'm a very poor boy!) that would help me start simply with the basics.

 

I reckon you'd start with learning as many chords as possible, getting some interesting ones together and then building the song round them.

 

Any ideas much appreciated!

 

Jamie.

[Cliffk]

Hello fellow songsmiths! Whew, I'm glad I've finally managed to get to this forum (I reside mostly at the Keyboard Corner).

 

I suppose I could call myself a songwriter, as I write songs and record them here at home with my humble setup. My influences are wide-ranging, but I'm a sucker for a great voice singing inspiring lyrics (see my avatar ). I used to do the whole musician thing full-time a few years ago, but cut down on that to work in a more 'stable' teaching job. So now I write songs and record them here at home with my humble setup, and gig solo only very occasionally.

 

At the moment, I'm trying to setup a page on MySpace so if anyone can offer some advice as to how to upload my tunes, I'll share a few with ya.

[Edwin Ramos]

hello writing crew....My name is Edwin, I'm an independant Producer/Engineer and Songwriter. My accomplishments include 5 Gold and Platinum Albums, 2 Grammy nominations and a Grammy win for Mary J. Blige's "He Think I Dont Know" ... Currently, Co-writing,Producing and Arranging Luis Damon's NEW album titled "Metamorfosis" due out 2007. also in the studio with K-ci Hailey (K-Ci and JoJo) and Aaron Hall Writing and Producing songs on their solo albums due out in Aug-2006...i always look forward to meeting and collaborating with other writers and composers so feel free to reach out to me anytime..be nice to meet ya's.

 

e

[AUSSIEKEYS]

hi guys

new to this forum

Keyboard player,singer/songwriter.

 

been in bands and duos all my life till ill health [caused by passive smoke in clubs] recently curtailed live playing.

Have got back into writing and hopefully home recording.

Probably my chops arent as good as when I was playing live,and not getting any vocal workouts too,but i can soon fix that as I once was a vocal teacher so I will just make sure I practise what I preached.

Keyboards my weapon,24 track roland recorder,and 40 original songs to put down.

Songs at the moment just roll out so constantly

I dont know why.

Had 2 deep skincancers removed 4 days ago and the pain was at least a 9 and remarkably i sat down that night and played piano and the next day I had written a "quirky" song about sunburn and skincancer,why couldnt I be this prolific when I was younger and playing in bands.

And thank god ive broken the run of love/hate songs Ive written lately....god I long for the quirkyness of youth i once had...sometimes it reappears lately

 

Had a fair few songs played live/radio in my band days but only recorded as demos really.

have recorded/released my dads first album on his little Boss BR 8 track,and mixed his second album after showing him how to use the boss...what a nightmare to mix....he didnt understand input volumes.

 

So got a lotta of songs to get down now before my health gets any worse and yet I still seem to not get into recording enough yet the songs just keep coming.Still I shouldnt complAin it would be worse if I couldnt write anything new.

So i have the gear .I have the songs,but i dont have the health to get me into recording as sometimes I easily tire,even just playing piano...sometimes just the thought of rerouting the keyboards can deter me from recording,and this damn internet is a DISTRACTION...talking about it is easier than doing it...lol

 

but Im actually given myself the rest of the day to set my studio up for the finaL time and will do it..as i promissed myself i would give a CD of the cancer song to my skin cancer doctor/nursers as a push to continue writting/recording..

and dad is waiting for me to record his next album and I keep putting him off and he is 80 years old ....how long can he wait?lol

[AUSSIEKEYS]

double post sorry

[AUSSIEKEYS]

See you have inspired me already,just writing the above makes me realise what I have to do...thank you.

yes im now going to ring dad to tell him Ill start his new album and then off to the studio to make sure I get a start on my own stuff,

 

morale of the story folks is dont put off your dreams....for one day you may not physically be able to complete them.

 

dream 1...record my albums

dream 2...return to surrealist painting

dream 3...live long enough to enjoy....lol ha ha

Sieze yesterday.

cheers

rusty

[Dr Nursers]

Originally posted by Edwin Ramos:

hello writing crew....My name is Edwin, I'm an independant Producer/Engineer and Songwriter. My accomplishments include 5 Gold and Platinum Albums, 2 Grammy nominations and a Grammy win for Mary J. Blige's "He Think I Dont Know" ... Currently, Co-writing,Producing and Arranging Luis Damon's NEW album titled "Metamorfosis" due out 2007. also in the studio with K-ci Hailey (K-Ci and JoJo) and Aaron Hall Writing and Producing songs on their solo albums due out in Aug-2006...i always look forward to meeting and collaborating with other writers and composers so feel free to reach out to me anytime..be nice to meet ya's.

 

e

Welcome Edwin

 

If you get time, some stories of your previous songwriting experiences would be invaluable to everyone if you are happy to share

[Dr Nursers]

And Rusty - why not start a thread here on your exploits in recording either your dad's or your own albums? I have a feeling it could help inspire other people

[AUSSIEKEYS]

Thanks Mr Nursers

have seen you on Keyboard corner

yes I dont mind Im a bit of a talker so ill take you up on that.

I believe in inspiring people as I also rely on being inspired.

ill see you on a thread.

[Aonaran]

My name is Kenny, I'm from Scotland.

 

Like most musicy types, I've dabbled with sng writing since my early teens but find it difficult completing anything I start.

 

I have a wide range of musical influences from Iron Maiden, ZZ Top and Thin Lizzy to Slayer, Pantera, Raunchy right the way through to Underworld, Ozric Tentacles and Clannad.

 

I play guitar but have recently bwecome more interested in using Reason for some chilled out stuff for a nice change!

[AUSSIEKEYS]

welcome kenny

feel free to start a thread

maybe someone may offer a way of going about finishing off songs.

cheers russell

[StantheMailman]

Jamie J...I've written well over one hundred songs...8 of them are sure hits..LOL...Just kiddin.'

 

Ray Davies, of the Kinks is one of my favorite songwriters.

 

Sometimes, it helps to carry a little notebook and write down things you hear people say, or newspaper headlines, etc...anything that strikes you.

 

If you're serious about writing, take at least one half hour 3-4 times a week, and sit down with the express purpose of writing. No scale practice or playing songs...try to write during this time...you'd be surprised how many ideas you'll come up with.

 

If you can...record yourself trying to write...this is another great place to get ideas. Listen to the recording a week later.

 

A friend of mine teaches grade school and asked me if I could write a song about the ocean for his class...this was another great exercise, because it forced me to keep the topic specific to the ocean..make the song enjoyable, and yet, educational. Do not stick with the boy/girl song format or usual lyrical ideas. But, do not forget to write about what you know, or what's important to you.

 

Finally...I heard an interview with a reknown songwritier on the radio once, and they asked him how he writes so many songs? He replied..."Steal stuff!" A bit "tongue in cheek,' but borrowing some ideas and techniques from some of your favorite songs can help toward writing your own compositions.

 

Best of luck,

 

Stan

[Dr Nursers]

Welcome Stan

[Tedster]

Everyone who's ever made it in the business has "borrowed" from the best, not the least of which were Lennon and McCartney.

[I I mjrn]

Like Ted sed, airbody gets their ideas from somewhere, that's the nature of artisic creation whether musical or for any medium.

The trick is to learn how to move B-yond what 1 copies N2 "re-angling" or realigning concepts per 1's own viewpoint.